Andrew Hunter
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Following (8)
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Reviews (319)
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Andrew Hunter is a musician and composer. He abandoned his career in film and television to raise his kids, make music and drink wine.
My love of wine started with underage sips at the family dinner table. In college I fancied myself a sophisticate as I drank Chianti with pizza, back when Chianti still came in wicker 'fiasco' bottles. (I miss those, great candle holders.) I admit to still having a soft spot for Mateus. Cheap, sweet wine in a chubby bottle was just fine. Back then all I knew about wine was that there was red, white and pink (and girls really liked that white zinfandel!). It was years later, when I started to frequent some of Toronto's finer restaurants, that vinous epiphanies began to occur. Sips of wine that caused quiet pause and an exclamation of, "oh...wow."
I began to read everything I could about wine. I built a cellar and started collecting bottles. My taste evolved from sweet, easy-drinking, fruit-forward wines to the more old-world styles of France and Italy. I tend to prefer wines that are understated and complex over the super-extracted fruit-bombs which seem to be increasingly fashionable. I'll generally take Bordeaux over Napa and Tuscany over Australia. But there are always exceptions!
I'm a huge fan of sweet wines. I rarely meet an ice wine or Sauternes that I don't like. I also get along very well with Port.
Riesling is my favorite white, along with Viognier, Gerwurztraminer and Santorini Assyrtiko. Chardonnay is my least favorite. No matter how much I spend or how great the pedigree, I have yet to be blown away. Somewhere out there is a really delicious Chardonnay. I'm still looking for it.
My busy life leaves little time for blogging but at the very least I review every wine I taste.
There's nothing more subjective than art...Except perhaps wine. At our wine club I'm always pleased when someone prefers the $12 wine to the $50 wine (unfortunately it never seems to be me). For all it's pretentiousness and hype wine is a just a drink, either you like it or you don't. There is no right or wrong. It's all about discovering what you like!
In my wine reviews I try to describe the wine in a simple, unpretentious way. My aim is to help the reader decide if it's a wine they might like or want to avoid.
Of course, I'll tell you if I like it or not, but also, unlike many professional critics, I write with the clear assumption that what you like and what I like may very well be opposite. It doesn't matter. I'll tell you if a wine is sweet and fruit-forward and or dry, tannic and savory and let you decide.
http://torontowineguy.blogspot.com/
Reviews
Illuminati Riparosso Montepulciano D'abruzzo 2006, Doc
Abruzzo, Italy$13.95
Jam and pepper. Sweet and spicy. Thick and juicy with some heat. (Welches grape juice & vodka jello shooters?) Reminds me of some Cali Zins I've had only thicker. I loved this. My wife? Not so much, though she enjoyed it more the next day. Great Price to quality ratio.
3.0 Stars
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Domaine Cazes Alter De Cazes 2003, Ac Côtes Du Roussillon Villages
Languedoc, France$16.75
this has evolved nicely...
bright red, the slightest bit of bricking on the rim...
fairly complex for such an inexpensive wine. plenty of tannic backbone left.
mid weight with good concentration ...red berries (cranberry!) and herbal flavours. A bit of anis on the nose...
quite dry, very french but with a good ripe, sweet fruit core. Nice minerally finish.
Good wine. This would have easily lasted another 5 years. might turn into an above 90 wine with some more time.
As is, it's a good drink that would match well with just about anything.
3.0 Stars
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Château La Gorce 2005, Ac Médoc
Bordeaux, France$16.95
85+
Rustic is a great word to describe this wine. A very dry & savory wine. Old bookstore. There is some fruit but you really have to dig for it. I ran it through an aerator and it helped a bit. I recommend decanting for at least 2 hours and drinking it with food (rich red meat). I think I will grab a couple more bottles, stick 'em in the cellar and pull one out in a year or two, see how it loosens up. Price is right and for the extra $5 it's much better than the CH. Ducla.
3.0 Stars
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Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale 2006, Tuscany
Italy$24.95
Tony Soprano's table wine.
Dark purple. Medium-full body. Fairly tight nose. Plenty of fruit, plenty of tannin and very (too?) woody. Very dry, a bit rustic. A masculine Chianti. A good table wine to go with a roast or a pile of hearty Italian food. This really should be $5 cheaper.
3.0 Stars
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Château Verdignan 1999, Ac Haut Médoc
Bordeaux, France$29.95
Finally popped once open.
Ch. Verdignan is always a great value with good aging potential, the '99 is no exception even in a wet vintage.
Good dark, clear, colour with some bricking at the rim. Classic bouquet of blackberry, dark cherry, spice & cedar.
Medium body. Tannins have smoothed out with just enough left to balance the wine. Classy and delicious.
Glad I keep buying these. Terrific value.
3.0 Stars
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Coyote's Run Cabernet 2007
Ontario, Canada$19.95
Dark ruby red. Apparently this is a 50/50 blend but it's light, fruity nose seems more franc than sauvignon. A touch of cloves?
Medium bodied, good acidity. A fair bit of fine, sweet tannin. Tastes of raspberry and plum-skin. Has a slight green streak.
Opens up well and would likely benefit from some cellar time.
3.0 Stars
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Bodegas Castaño Hécula Monastrell 2006, Do Yecla
Spain$13.95
Not bad, plenty of flavour in a rustic way.
Herbal, slightly perfumed nose. Medium-full bodied, savoury with some sweet/sour dark fruit, Tannic, good acidity, fairly balanced. Maybe a bit too much upfront wood.
Will cut though hearty food and big flavours.
A fine everyday wine at a decent price, but nothing interesting here.
Would probably not bother buying this again.
3.0 Stars
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Cecchi Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano 2004, Docg
Tuscany, Italy$21.95
Smelled of stale cigarettes, stewed black cherries. Medium body. Warm, herbal, leathery palate. Dusty tannins.
3.0 Stars
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Castaño La Casona Monastrell 2007, Yecla
Spain$8.99
For the price: heck yeah.
This is made from monastrell or mourvedre as it's more commonly know.
Dark, dry, tannic, herbal with subdued fruit. Old world style for sure.
Not a sipping wine as such but goes great with bold food...spaghetti and spicy meat sauce in my case.
Degraded fairly quickly once opened. Open and drink in one night...leftovers did not fair well the next day. Drinkable but a sourness and acidity came to the fore.
If you're looking for something different at a steal of a price this is it.
I may stick a few in the cellar for a couple years just to see how it evolves.
3.0 Stars
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D'arenberg The Stump Jump Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvèdre 2008, Mclaren Vale, South Australia
Australia$14.95
Is Australia considered new world? No? Well their wine sure is.
Yet another "cleverly" named wine from D'arenberg, this Rhone blend is light, sweet, fruity and ... well, boring.
Raspberry, strawberry and a touch of candy apple. All a bit too modern for my palate. I missed the earthy, savory dimension found in it's Rhone counterparts.
Nothing offensive here, just a simple sipper aiming to please.
3.0 Stars
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